"Rock Star" road tripper checking in! Self-proclaimed anyway! Road trips and visits to all 50 states are my game. Find your next road trip destinations here. Fill your bucket list with fantastic US journeys. I love road trips and spare no effort in making my travels and experiences inviting for members of the road-tripping family! Pick a trip you want to take, or get inspired to plan your own. - - The Driveby Tourist (or call me Stan!)
Visit Joliet IL for Joliet Prison & Illinois Rock & Roll HOF! (Or Route 66!)
|
It’s finally time for another Driveby Tourist road trip! I’m still recovering from spine surgery (L5-S1 decompression & fusion), but you don’t need to hear more! On the way to the Midwest Travel Network annual conference in Shipshewana, Indiana, I spent a night in Joliet. Since I visited here on Route 66 in a trip that kicked off The Driveby Tourist, they opened an Illinois Rock & Roll Museum and a prison museum around the old Joliet State prison. The movie The Blues Brothers made the prison famous. It’s called the best movie filmed about Illinois! (And you thought it was Ferris Bueller's Day Off!) When I arrived in town, I had dinner at Al’s Steakhouse, which has operated since 1966! Just see the front door! In the morning, I visited the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum. It opened in 2023 and will expand to the second floor, opening next year. The first floor will celebrate the roots of rock, the Blues! The second floor, the rock & roll part. The Chicago area was a massive part of the blues. (After all, you can’t sing the blues in Phoenix or Denver!) Here are a few pictures from the museum. Currently, featured rock grounds include Styx and Cheap Trick! And many others with a connection to Illinois! The prison museum is also under construction. They’ve raised $10 million and need more to restore the entire prison. It’s open during the restoration, but some areas may be closed and opened again. “Joliet” Jake Blues and brother Elwood Blues created a classic movie that’s considered the best movie about Illinois! And, of course, Joliet has a Route 66 visitor center! Here's another picture! It's a quick newsletter to report on my trip here. I'll have blog posts....eventually "We’re on a mission from God!" “Joliet” Jake Classic Rock song: "Route 66” by The Rolling Stones (They did record it, and it’s considered the best Rock and Roll version of the song!) Please email me about your experiences at a Rock & Roll museum or your Route 66 Museum. Here is the Premium Subscription page: You will get early views of new blog posts, one extra weekly newsletter, and views of all past published newsletters. And occasionally, I'll ask for votes on content! Stan Featured Post: Here’s a post including Joliet from the Route 66 trip! |
Stan Wiebe
"Rock Star" road tripper checking in! Self-proclaimed anyway! Road trips and visits to all 50 states are my game. Find your next road trip destinations here. Fill your bucket list with fantastic US journeys. I love road trips and spare no effort in making my travels and experiences inviting for members of the road-tripping family! Pick a trip you want to take, or get inspired to plan your own. - - The Driveby Tourist (or call me Stan!)
Want to learn about amazing things to see in Nebraska? I'll bet you didn't think that was possible!! I visited Grand Island in June and created the post about Grand Island and Kearney and to include other places that I've written about in the past. Here's the link to the new post. Thanks for checking it out. Until next time... Stan
Want to learn about amazing things to see in Nebraska? I'll bet you didn't think that was possible!! I visited Grand Island in June and created the post about Grand Island and Kearney and to include other places that I've written about in the past. Here's the link to the new post. Thanks for checking it out. Until next time... Stan
If you’re fascinated by American pioneer history and breathtaking natural landmarks, Chimney Rock in Nebraska is a must-see! This towering rock formation, rising nearly 300 feet above the plains, served as a crucial landmark for wagon trains traveling westward along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails in the 19th century. 🌄🛤️ Some call it the most historic landmark in Nebraska. Combined with Scotts Bluff, maybe it is! Just a short drive away is Scotts Bluff National Monument, another...